Combined truck and coupler mechanism for toy cars



Jan. 22, 1957 R, E, BEGER 2,778,508

COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER MECHANISM FOR TOY CARS Filed 001;. 26, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR P/Cl/flRD .BE'GEI? ATTO R N EY Jan. 22, 1957 R. E. BEGER 2,778,508

COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER MECHANISM FOR TOY CARS Filed Oct. 26, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY R. E. BEGER Jan. 22*, 1957 COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER MECHANISM FOR TOY CARS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 26, 1953 \NVEN'EOR Eva/#100 E. BEG'ER ATTORNEY P Patented Jan. 22, 1.957

COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER MECHA- NISM FOR TOY CARS Richard E. Beger, Jersey City, N. J., assignor to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 26, 1953', Serial No. 388,371

12 Claims. (Cl. 213-211) track magnets. 1

In Patent No. 2,661,852, dated December 8, 1953-, granted on the application of Joseph: L. Bonanno, Serial No. 89,290; filed April 23, 1949, is shown a form of toy track having a remote controlled track magnet for actuating car carried couplers, and a form'of knuckle-type coupler suitable for use in shortcars and cooperable with knuckle-type couplers normally actuated by truck carried magnets, as in Pettit Patent No..2,658,629, November 10, 1953.

Such constructions are not suitable for use with long cars where, on account of the spacing requirements of the trucks with respect to the end of the cars, it is necessary'tohave the coupler extended far beyond the truck itself.

-The present invention contemplates the provision of combined trucks and couplers wherein the coupler head is spaced a substantial distance beyond the truck axle, and means are provided for actuating this coupler head from a truck carried armature sensitive to the energization of a track magnet.

The present invention also contemplates an improved construction according to which it is possible to have the coupler swing about a vertical. axis independent of the swing of the truck. itself, this making it possible to have the trucks follow the track Without any tendency toward derailment being brought about by forces received from the couplers which move through paths determined by the positioning of the car bodies coupled together.

The present invention also contemplates constructions according to which the truck and coupler may be preassembled as a unit and secured to a plate adapted to. be secured directly to the car body.

Other and further objects will appear :as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, one embodiment. in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawings:

F'gure 1 is a top plan view of a truck securing plate, truck and coupler assembled for securement to the floor plate of the toy car;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the truck and coupler detached from thesecuring plate;

' Figure 3 is an inverted plan View of the securing plate and parts carried thereby;

Figure 3a is a fragmentary section on the line 3a- 3 a of Figures 1 and 3; g

Figure 4. is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing a fragment of the car and showing the truck and associated parts imposition over an actuating track magnet, the magnet being deenergized;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 4 showing the position of the parts when the track magnet is energized;

Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of a truck and coupler, parts being broken away and parts being in section;

Figure'7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6; I

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section on the line 8-8 of Figure 4; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary section on the line 9-9 of Figure 6.

A fragment of the extruded body portion of streamlined toy railway car is indicated at 10 in Figures 4 and 7. The sheet metal floor plate of the car is indicated at 11- in these figures. The truck and coupler to be described are secured to the floor plate 11. To secure thetruck and associated parts in place the floor plate is provided with downwardly struck prong 12 and a hole 13.

The truck, coupler, and mounting plate for the coupler are a preassembled mechanism adapted to be secured to the body of the car as a unit.

1 The mounting or securing plate is indicated at 20. It is an elongated plate having a tongue 21 and a hole 23, and is dished downwardly as indicated in the drawings. When assembled, as shown in Figure 4, thetongue 21 is behindthe prong 12, and hole 13'is opposite the opening 22 to receive the'screw 23. The body of the plate is spaced below the floor plate 11 of the car to accommodate parts to be described.

The plate Ed is provided with a hole 24 adapted. to receive the pivot pin 25 by which the truck-coupler unit, generally indicated by the letter T, is rotatably secured to the car body. The truck can swing back and forth relative to the car, as indicated by the dotted and dot and dash lines at the right of Figure 1.

The truck has two side plates indicated at 30, 30 which support axlesfil, 31 carrying wheels 32 adapted to ride along the usual wheel-bearing rails 33, 33. The side pieces 30, 30 have brackets 30 to which a sheet metal bridging member 34 is secured by drive screws 35.

This bridging member 34 carries the pivot post 25 by which the truck mechanism is pivoted to the securing plate 2% by the C-washer 36 as usual. It also has an upwardly extending prong 37 which passes through an opening 38 in the plate 20 and limits the amount of swinging movement which the truck can have relative to the car.

The axles 31, 31 support a steel plate 39. This plate has an opening 46) at the right hand end in the drawings and an opening 41 at the left smaller than the opening 40 and having a wider portion 41a and a narrower portion 41b. The left opening 41 and the portions 40a, 40b of the opening 40 are arranged to receive an armature member 42. This armature member has a lower portion 43 below the plate 39 and upwardly extending portion 44 at the left with downwardly facing shoulders 45, 45 adapted to overlie the plate '39 as shown in Figures 6 and 7, and at the right has two upwardly and leftwardl-y extending-hook members 46 (Figures 6 and 9) which are adapted to pass up through the notches 49a, dill). When the armature is in the position indicated these hook members 46 overlie a portion of the plate 39 and prevent the plate from dropping out of place. its movement in the right hand direction is limited by a prong 3% formed out of the piece 39. This prong is in an erect position when the armature is passed up through the hole 41. This prong is then bent down to the position shown after the armature member is in place. At the upper end the upwardly extending port-ion 44 has aprong 47 adapted to engage 3 a link 48 extending beyond the axis of pivot pin 25 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7, the purpose of which will be described. This connection is located close to the axis of post 25.

The post pivotally supports a sheet metal coupler arm so that it can swing from side to side. This coupler arm has a prong 51 which extends up through the hole 52 in the securing plate 20. The coupler can swing as indicated by the dotted and dot and dash lines in Figure 1. This movement is independent of the swinging movement of the truck per se. The coupler arm is biased to mid position by a spring 53 having an end portion 54 which passes down through a hole 55 in plate 20 and hooks underneath the plate as indicated. The body of the spring extends along the upper face of the plate 2b, as shown in Figures 1 and 3a, and hooks underneath the ends of lug 56 struck up out of the plate 20. (See Figure 3a.) The ends of the spring 53, as shown in Figure 4, extend beyond the prong 51 carried by the coupler arm and normally bias it toward mid position, as shown in full lines in Figure 1.

A cast coupler head 57 is secured to the coupler arm Si? by rivets as indicated at 57a. The outer end of the coupler head is cooperable with and resembles the coupier heads of Pettit Patent No. 2,658,629, and now in common use on toy railways, and is adapted to couple with other cars having similar coupler heads. It carries a movable coupler hook 58 pivoted at 59 and biased to open position by a spring indicated at 6tl.- The inner end fill of the coupler hook is notched as indicated at 6?. and provided with a cam as indicated at 63 so as to cooperate with a plunger 64 slidably carried in the coupler head. The plunger or slider 64 is urged to the left, as shown in the drawing, by a spring 65 which abuts against a downwardly bent, apertured prong 66 carried by the coupler arm 58 and normally acts to latch the knuckle in closed position. The inner or right hand end of the slider 64 is connected to the link 48, which in turn is connected to the portion 44 of the armature in the manner above referred to. This link is made of spring metal and, when the armature is attracted by the track magnet indicated at 70, is adapted to bend from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position of Figure 5. Upon deenergization of the magnet, the spring action of link 48 raises the armature. The track magnet and the track herein shown in part is shown in detail in Bonanno Patent No. 2,661,852.

The link acts as a tension member to pull on the slider 64 and bends slightly as indicated. It swings with the coupler arm about the axis of the post 25. When the magnet 70 is deenergized the spring 65 restores the parts to the position shown in Figure 4.

The metal plate 39 carried by the axles 31 also fixedly supports an insulating bracket 80. This bracket carries a vertical tubular rivet 31. This rivet passes through a metal saddle or yoke 82, which supports a contact roller 83 hearing on the third or power rail 8 The tubular element 81 receives at the upper end a cup-shaped contact shoe S5. A spring 86 presses the yoke 82 down to press the roller against the third rail and applies pressure upwards to press contact shoe member 85 against a fixed contact 37 secured to an insulating plate 83 which is fixedly carried by the mounting or securing plate 88 which is fixedly carried by the mounting or securing plate 20. The contact 87 has a broad, arcuate bearing surface 89 corresponding with the swinging movement imparted to the contact shoe 85 by the swinging of the coupler about its pivot 25.

The contact plate 87 has upwardly extending spring element indicated at @t) adapted to bear on a washer .R'l which forms one terminal of a lamp socket structure indicated at 92. The shell part of the lamp socket structure 92 is secured to a spring member 93 adapted to be passed up through a hole 94 in the plate 20 and removably secured to it, as indicated in Figure 8. The lamp is therefore energized through the collector shoe 4 and conducting parts so that light is supplied to the interior of the car.

The truck coupler combination herein shown is one which can be completely preassembled before it is secured to the mounting plate 20 and, when secured to the mounting plate 20, the complete assemblage is readily attachable to or removable from the car. The coupler construction is one well suited for use with long cars where the trucks are placed a substantial distance from the ends of the cars. The articulation of the coupler arm with respect to the car truck makes it possible to use the construction in trains having long streamlined cars with considerable overhang of the ends of the cars.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a toy railway car, a toy truck having rail-engaging wheels to position it on a track, a coupler arm, and means to pivot the car, the truck, and the coupler arm for independent relative movement about a vertical axis, wherein the coupler arm carries a coupler head, a knuckle spring-biased to open position, a knuckle latch spring-biased to latching position and a link secured to the latch and extending to said vertical axis, and wherein the truck carries an armature rockable about a horizontal axis and having a horizontally movable arm connected to the extended end of the link and a horizontal armature attractable downwardly by a track magnet.

2. The combination such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link is in the form of a leaf spring which acts to lift the arm of the armature when demagnetized.

3. In combination, a toy car truck having rail-engaging wheels to position it on a toy track and a vertical post for securing it to a toy car body, a coupler arm carrying a coupler head, a coupler knuckle spring biased to open position and a reciprocable knuckle latch to latch the knuckle in closed position, means to secure the coupler arm to the truck for swinging movement about the same axis as the post, a spring acting on the latch to bias it toward latching position, a truck carried armature disposed between the wheels of the truck and movable downwardly when attracted by a track magnet, and linkage connecting the armature and latch to pull the latch away from the knuckle to release the knuckle when the armature is so moved.

4. A combined truck and coupler mechanism for toy trains comprising a wheeled truck cooperable with the wheel-bearing rails of toy track and having an armature member pivotally secured to the truck for rocking movement about a transverse horizontal axis and provided with a lower portion attractable by a track magnet between the rails and an upwardly extending arm whose upper end moves longitudinally, a coupler arm pivotally secured to the truck for swinging movement about a vertical axis near the upper end of the armature-carried arm, a fixed couplcr head carried by the coupler arm, a latchable knuckle carried by the coupler head, a reciprocable knuckle latch, a knuckle spring biasing the knuckle open, a latch spring biasing the latch against the knuckle to latch it closed, and a link connecting the latch and the armature-carried arm for retracting the latch when the armature is lowered.

5. A combined truck and coupler for toy railway cars comprising a truck body provided with axles and wheels cooperable with wheel-bearing track rails and having a pivot post for securement to a toy car, a coupler arm pivoted to the post and extending beyond the truck body, a coupler head carried by the arm, a coupler head carried knuckle spring-biased to uncoupling position, a reciprocable latch having an end cooperable with the knuckle to latch the knuckle closed, a spring biasing the latch toward theknuckle, a rocker arm pivotally carried by the truck and having a magnetizable armature below the axle level and attractable by a magnet between the track rails and an upwardly extending arm adjacent the pivot post axis, and a link connecting the upwardly extending arm of the rocker arm and the latch retracting the latch when the armature is attracted.

6. In a toy truck, two side plates, a bridging member connecting the side plates and carrying a vertical post for securing the truck to a car body, axles carried by the side plates, wheels on the axles for supporting the truck on toy railroad track, a plate secured to the axles and bridging the space between them, the plate having an aperture, an L-shaped magnetizable member having a vertical portion extending up through the aperture and a lower horizontal portion below the plate, means pivoting the armature to the plate for rocking movement about a horizontal axis parallel with the axles, stop means limiting the lowering of the horizontal portion of the armature, and a horizontal reciprocable armature operable device spring biased in a direction to hold the lower portion of the armature in its upper position.

7. In a toy truck, two side plates, a bridging member connecting the side plates and carrying a vertical post for securing the truck to a car body, axles carried by the side plates, wheels on the axles for supporting the truck on toy railroad track, a plate secured to the axles and bridging the space between them, the plate having an aperture, an L-shaped magnetizable member having a vertical portion extending up through the aperture and a lower horizontal portion below the plate, means pivoting the armature to the plate for rocking movement about a horizontal axis parallel with the axles, stop means limiting the lowering of the horizontal portion of the armature, a car coupler carried by the truck and including a knuckle, a reciprocable knuckle latch spring biased to latching position and a link connecting the knuckle latch and the armature to hold the lower portion of the armature in its upper position.

8. A combined truck and coupler for toy cars having a wheeled truck body adapted to move along the rails of a track and support a car body, a coupler arm pivotally secured to the truck body about a vertical axis to assume various horizontal angles relative to the wheels, a knuckle carried by the coupler arm and spring-biased toward open position, a knuckle latch-spring biased to hold the knuckle closed and guided for movement in a radial direction with respect to the coupler arm pivot and a truck-carried arm pivoted about a horizontal axis below the coupler arm pivot so that the upper end of the said arm moves back and forth adjacent the axis of said pivot, and a link connecting the upper end of said arm and the knuckle latch.

9. A pro-assembled unit adapted for securement to the floor of a toy car, comprising a horizontal plate, a toy truck pivotally secured to the plate underneath the same and for movement about a vertical axis and having wheels cooperable with wheel-bearing rails of a toy track, a conpler arm pivotally secured to the truck and disposed between the plate and truck, spring means carried by the plate and acting on the coupler arm to bias it to midposition, a truck-carried armature, a coupler carried by the coupler arm and having a knuckle biased to open position, a spring biased latch for the knuckle to hold it closed, and a connection between the knuckle latch and the armature for holding the armature in elevated position, the connection including a vertical pivot substantially aligned with the axis about which the coupler arm swings.

10. A pre-assembled truck coupler unit adapted for securement to the floor of a toy car, comprising a truck having a body, wheels cooperable with wheel-bearing rails, and an armature rockable about a horizontal axis and adapted to be attracted downwardly by a magnet underneath the same, a coupler arm pivotally secured to the truck body above the axis of the armature and carrying a coupler normally latched in closed position, armature actuated devices for releasing the coupler including a radially reciprocable plunger connected to the armature above its axis, a mounting plate, means to pivotally secure the truck body to the mounting plate coaxially with the pivot for the coupler arm, and a coupler arm-biasing spring carried by the mounting plate and biasing the coupler arm to midposition.

ll. A pre-assembled truck coupler unit adapted for securement to the floor of a toy car, comprising a truck having a body, wheels cooperable with wheel-bearing rails, an

insulated current collector cooperable with a central power rail, and an armature pivoted about a horizontal axis and adapted to be attracted downwardly by a magnet underneath the same, a coupler arm pivotally secured to the truck body above the axis of the armature and carrying a coupler normally latched in closed position, armature actuated devices for releasing the coupler including a radially reciprocable plunger connected to the armature above its axis, a mounting plate means to pivotally secure the truck body to the mounting plate coaxially with the pivot for the coupler arm, a current collecting plate insulatedly secured to the mounting plate, and a conducting shoe connected to the current collector and spring pressed against the conducting shoe.

12. A toy truck having spaced parallel axles, a metal plate secured to the axis and having between the axles an opening with a wide and narrow portion, an L-shaped armature having a lower portion below the plate and an upwardly extending portion passing through the aperture in the plate, said upwardly extending portion having a wide portion movable through the wide portion of the plate aperture and notches to accept the plate adjacent the narrow portion of the aperture, plate-carried means to retain the armature in the latter position, and a spring retracted member connected to the upper end of the armature to swing the lower part of the armature upwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kelch et a1. Apr. 11, 1939 

